whole-wheat, flax, and hemp heart bread

It’s minus 40 Celsius as I write this {that’s also minus 40 Fahrenheit for our lovely neighbours to the south}, and the world is ending. I mean, it’s March {March!} and it’s easily already the coldest day of the winter. A certain groundhog told us last month that spring was coming early. He is a liar, and I think the only logical thing to do is to make a nice pot of groundhog stew. It will keep us warm, and keep him from continuing to spread his lies.

After such a long winter, it’s time to get creative about how we keep warm {otherwise some of us might go a little loopy and start to threaten the lives of groundhogs}. One of the best ways to do that is to turn the oven on and bake up some comforting fare – like this Whole-Wheat, Flax, and Hemp Heart Bread. It’s wholesome, hearty, and makes a hell of a piece of toast {especially when it’s slathered with peanut butter and topped with sliced bananas. Heaven.}.

Instructions:1. Pour warm water into a large bowl fit to an electric stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, or until it’s foamy. Stir in the honey, coconut oil, and sea salt.

2. Add 1-cup flour and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until the flour is mostly incorporated. Increase speed slightly and continue to mix until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the oat bran, flax, hemp hearts, and another cup of flour, replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook, and continue to mix on low until all of the flour has been incorporated and the mixture is smooth. With the mixer on, add as much of the remaining flour by the tablespoonful as you need to create a smooth, elastic dough.

3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Punch down dough and roll it into a log; place the log into an oiled, standard-sized loaf pan and cover with a tea towel. Let the loaf rest in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. About 20 minutes before the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Right before you put the loaf in the oven, lightly dust the top with flour and make a 1cm-deep cut lengthwise down the centre. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. If it’s browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

6. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days.